Grain harvest begins in Western Australia

Harvest has begun in WA with canola and barley expected to be delivered to CBH recieval sites in the coming days.

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Harvest has officially begun in WA, with Cooperative Bulk Handling expecting to start receiving grain in the coming days.

The Esperance and Geraldton zones have kicked off first, with canola and barley being harvested.

Its a full fortnight earlier than usual, and Esperance zone manager Mick Daw says it's going to be the biggest season on record for farmers in the state's south east.

"Yeah look we're planning on receiving between 2.4 and 2.5 million tonnes, so if we get that in the bin it will be extremely good," he says.

Further north and farmers in the Geraldton zone are expected to start delivering grain this week as well.

Zone manager Duncan Gray says farmers are champing at the bit to get their crop off.

"We've just held all our round of grower meetings and the season has picked up enormously not only in Geraldton but around the state so we were looking down the barrel of worse than last year but because of the great finish we should be looking at around that 1.8, hopefully get to that 2 million tonne," he says.

In the Kwinana port zone is still a couple of weeks away but assistant zone manager Alan Walker says recent rain has improved expected tonnages out of sight.

"The south of the zone is exceptional, some of the best crops the growers have ever seen down there and to the north and the east its still not real good but its better than it was o everyone is going to get their headers out now and we should get some good tonnages into the Kwinana zone," he says.

The Albany port zone will be the last to kick off with grain fill still occurring in much of the region.

But by all accounts, the region is anticipating record yields with little sign of frost so far.

Some farmers say its the best season they've had in 35 years and Albany assistant zone manager Mark Pinney says he's expecting more than 3 million tonne expected to be delivered.

"Across the zone, an extremely good season ahead of us, hopefully some prosperous tonnes into port," he says.